Hose management system for supplying conditioned air to an aircraft

Abstract

A hose management system with a longitudinally collapsible duct-like air hose may supply conditioned air for heating and/or cooling an aircraft. The system has a temperature controlled container and a motorized remotely controlled drive with treads for feeding out hose to a length appropriate to hook up to a stationary aircraft. The motorized drive also retracts the hose back into the container. The hose may have scuff strips, hook and loop fasteners, and reflective strips.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. An apparatus for providing conditioned air to an aircraft comprising:
 a substantially closed housing having an air inlet end, and an air outlet end; 
 a longitudinally collapsible hose having an outside surface, an inlet end, and an outlet end, wherein said longitudinally collapsible hose is disposed within the housing so that the inlet end is proximate the air inlet end, and the outlet end is exterior to the air outlet end; 
 a drive unit proximate the air outlet end, that contacts the outside surface of the hose to selectively push the outlet end in a first direction away from the inlet end, or pull the outlet end in a second direction towards the inlet end; and 
 wherein the drive unit is mounted to the air outlet end with an adjustable mounting permitting movement of the drive unit toward and away from the outside surface of the hose to accommodate variation in the diameter of the hose, the adjustable mounting comprising a pivot connection between the drive unit and air outlet end, a shoulder bolt and tension spring, the position of the drive unit in the pivot connection being controlled by the shoulder bolt and tension spring creating force on the drive unit toward the outside surface of the hose. 
 
     
     
       2. The apparatus of  claim 1  further comprising a cylindrical tube included in the housing, wherein said hose is disposed within said cylindrical tube and said cylindrical tube has perforations to allow air movement from the outside of the cylindrical tube to the inside of the cylindrical tube in contact with the hose. 
     
     
       3. The apparatus for providing conditioned air to an aircraft of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 an adjustable mounting structure compatible with an airport telescoping corridor, suspending the apparatus below the airport telescoping corridor. 
 
     
     
       4. The apparatus of  claim 3  wherein the mounting structure suspends the apparatus below the airport telescoping corridor by clamping to a support structure of the airport telescoping corridor without modifying the support structure. 
     
     
       5. The apparatus for providing conditioned air to an aircraft of  claim 1 , wherein said drive unit comprises at least first and second drive shafts generating force applied to said hose, the first and second drive shafts coupled to a drive motor for common drive by the drive motor. 
     
     
       6. The apparatus of  claim 5  further comprising third and fourth drive shafts generating force applied to said hose, the third and fourth drive shafts coupled together and to said drive motor by a drive chain. 
     
     
       7. The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the shoulder bolt is mounted to a spring block engaged to a slotted hole in the drive unit. 
     
     
       8. The apparatus for providing conditioned air to an aircraft of  claim 1 , wherein said drive unit comprises a drive belt matable to the outside surface of the house and generating force applied to said hose, and a drive motor applying driving force to said drive belt.